"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Study = Language not Facts

Study is not important for the facts it teaches you, what it is important for is that it provides you with a language and framework you can use to think about what you see and want to do. A framework and language with which to communicate your intentions and desires with regards to a specific field to others.

When I hear others discussing mathematics or I try some my self or utilize statistics, other than the basics I'm left unable comprehend, not because I'm incapable of understanding what is being discussed, but because the words used MEAN absolutely NOTHING to me. I might as well be listening to the singing of birds or the barking of Dogs.

More and more I regret not continuing to study mathematics at university, a choice that was made not because I didn't enjoy and understand Math, but because there were too many things I found interesting. Which made a 12point paper impractical to fit into my schedule.

I don't suppose any one knows of any good resources for mathematics that start around Newtonian Algebra and build from there to cover more advanced and modern forms of mathematics, or provide a theoretical basis for stats? Any of the first year mathematics text's worth looking at as a way to reintroduce ones self to mathematics, any one got one lying around from uni they no longer want?